Ghana U-17s begin 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign against Togo on 10 October

Ghana’s Black Starlets will begin their bid to qualify for the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations against neighbours Togo in the opening match of their WAFU Zone B U-17 Championship campaign on 10 October 2026.

The Group B fixture will be played at the 4th August Sports Stadium in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, with Ghana aiming to make a positive start under head coach Kasim Ocansey Mingle.

The Black Starlets will face Benin in their second group match on 13 October, before completing the first phase of the competition against hosts Burkina Faso three days later.

The WAFU Zone B U-17 Championship is being used as the qualifying tournament for the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be hosted by Morocco. Ghana must progress through the group stage and then negotiate the knockout rounds if they are to reach the continental competition.

Only the two teams that reach the final of the WAFU Zone B championship will secure qualification for the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations. As a result, Ghana must go all the way to the final in Ouagadougou to guarantee a place in Morocco.

The Black Starlets are former FIFA U-17 World Cup champions and will be seeking to build momentum from the opening encounter with Togo. Their group also includes Benin and Burkina Faso, meaning Ghana face a demanding route through the regional tournament.

Preparations for the competition have been led by Mingle, who oversaw an extensive scouting and screening exercise across Ghana. The process focused on players from the 2010-year group as the coaching team worked to identify the talent needed to form a competitive squad.

Ghana will now shift its focus towards the tournament in Ouagadougou, where the Black Starlets will attempt to negotiate a challenging group and reach the decisive stages of the competition.

The regional championship represents the crucial first step in Ghana’s pursuit of a place at the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations. With only the finalists assured of qualification, every group-stage result will be important as the Black Starlets seek to remain in contention for a return to the continental showpiece.

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